Sunday, December 7, 2014

I Won Something!

We have had our first snow - that is if 8 or 9 flakes count.  It frosted and was beautiful all last week and on the day it changed to rain and warmed up winter showed its face for a few minutes.  Then it melted-the benefit of living in one of the most moderate climates in North America.

This week we have been busy with our company wind down - just five more days of work and then we are shutting it down until after Christmas with exception of a couple of hours worth of accounting.  On Friday we went to the Christmas party of the company that I quit in October  as they very kindly invited us. It was great to see my friends and it was a nice night out.  I did not go buy a new fancy-smancy outfit.  I wore one of the two dressy outfits I have for dressing up (wore other one last year) and timed my haircut to have it on the same day and only paid $10 extra for them to do up my hair.  An inexpensive fun night out all around.


Yesterday while mailing some company parcels and picking up a few groceries I entered a draw at the grocery store  - and received a call last night as I won one of the gift baskets! I am so excited to go see what's in the basket as I will be picking it up later this afternoon.  Frankly, I didn't really look closely so really have no idea.  I used to enter contests all the time, and have won some pretty nice things - trip to Whistler, $3000 in furniture and lots of smaller items too.  This might just get me back on the entering contest bandwagon!

Edit update:  I have now picked up the gift basket and it is fantastic - will share pictures and what was in it later in the week.

I hope to start baking some Christmas goodies this week - have pulled out some recipes that look promising.  I also need to get a handle on our grocery buying as the last two months have been very spendy in the grocery dept ($702 last month - includes all over the counter meds/bathroom products /non-food items for 3 adults).  The crock pot has been pulled out and I need to source out some inexpensive meat cuts to go into it.  Vegetables have sky rocketed in price now - I just hate spending $1.50 to $3 for a single cucumber.  I try and pick up the loss leaders at every store but it seems harder to find good deals this year.

All the Christmas cards have been written and mailed to my American Aunts and Uncle and 95% of the Christmas shopping has now been completed - even wrapped!  I watched "It's a wonderful life" for the first time last night - it is such a long movie and honestly did not live up to what I was hoping for.  Have you ever been disappointed by such a famous classic movie?  I usually enjoy old movies but not this one.  At least I now know what it was all about.

I am steering clear of all the Christmas insanity and trying to only show my face in stores in the early morning.  Although there was a lineup at the post office yesterday everyone there seemed to be in good cheer and it went quickly as the girl at the counter was very efficient.  How do you deal with the Christmas madness?

16 comments:

  1. I'm quite into a frugal Christmas. I'm even using a gift that I won for a present.

    Coffee is on

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    1. I think that is totally acceptable, particularly if it is something you neither want or can use. Ours is coming in cheaper this year than years past, partly because we are spending less on our parents who need/want so little. We are also spending less on each other than years past - but a little more on the kids in terms of cash gifts.

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  2. Well done on your win! Can't wait to see what you got. x

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    1. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning!

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  3. I handle Christmas madness by NOT shopping between Friday and Sunday. It's a ZOO out there! But I'm done my shopping and now just need to do baking/cards/wrapping/decorating etc etc. I'll be inside a lot this week due to the flooring installation so hope to get cards and baking done. I can't access my Christmas bags at the moment so wrapping will have to wait. I hope you scored big time on your basket!! My mom used to enters contests a lot and won our very first TV - very exciting. I think about doing it but just haven't got started.

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    1. Yes, weekends are totally out of the question. I enter the odd one here and there, but used to enter some every day. I am very careful what I enter though, only companies I know and actually would enjoy receiving the prize to protect my identity.

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  4. Great news on the win! That was excellent, looking forward to seeing the pictures.

    All presents wrapped and done here and cards posted. It just seems such a short time till the day will be here so I like to get as much done in the start of the month as possible! Actually I had mine done before I went into hospital for surgery on November 3 (apart from hubby's present which I now have sorted).

    xx

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    1. You smart woman = early November would have been so much easier. I hope you are healing up nicely and can enjoy the season. Just over two weeks now!

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  5. How nice to win a gift basket. Looking forward to seeing your swag. :-)

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  6. Congrats on the win!!! I'm better at losing than winning.
    I too am trying to stay clear of the holiday madness but its kind of hard when everything/one around you has the fever. LOL

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    1. Everyone does have the fever - so true. I tried to explain to my stepdaughter why I wasn't keen on her driving in parking lots this time of year - since everyone seems to completely lose their mind.

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  7. My dad had a friend at work that always entered contests. He was always winning something. Sounds like you've won some great stuff. The only thing I can remember winning was a TV at a tech trade show I was attending. I had to take it out of the box to fit it into my Mustang. - Margy

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    1. A TV sounds pretty good to me! I only entered this one once and was feeling particularly luck on Saturday - I should have bought a lottery ticket too.

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  8. Can't wait to see what's in that basket! I love baskets, they are so fun to unwrap!!! It's a wonderful life is not one of my favorite Xmas movies, I don't like the way everybody is taking advantage of the main character. I wrapped some gifts last night too :)

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    1. I love baskets too - one other time I received one as the company I worked for gave employees all the gifts (by draw) that the company received at Christmas time. That one included wine and chocolates. Baking treats are awesome!

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